Amphibians are creatures which spend part of their life in water and part of their life on dry land. Thus amphibians derive their name from their need for water to breed and develop. The word is derived from the greek "amphibios" which means "double life", referring to the fact that frogs spend half their life near water breeding and developing, and the other half away from the water.
Frogs, toads and newts all start their lives as eggs. They hatch out as tadpoles which breath through gills. As they grow, they develop lungs and legs, and are able to leave the water and walk on land.